Gaia's Pack
by Sabulana
Summary: Wolf AU. The forests of Midgar are ruled by ruled by the wolves. Nothing goes on that the Alpha, Sephiroth, does not hear about - or so he thinks, until he discovers a wolf pup he's never encountered before within the forest borders. Birthday fic for Eco.


**A few notes before the story begins:**

1) This is an alternate universe fanfiction. The characters are wolves. I have tried to keep them IC regardless of their new form but if anything seems off, do let me know.

2) I wrote this as a birthday request for my best friend. Happy birthday, Eco! It was intended to be fluffy but... I think I missed the mark on that one... Either way, I am relatively happy with this at the moment. (That will probably change after a couple days...)

3) It is supposed to be a one-shot. That means no continuations. Except I have vague ideas for more so you never know.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own these characters. I'm merely borrowing them for my own amusement.

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><p>The forests of Old Midgar were the Pack of Gaia's Chosen territory. Everyone knew that. Only those who belonged to that pack of wolves could hunt there and there were few who would dare to cross them. They had a reputation as being fierce defenders of their territory, and for being for the most part, unusual wolves. The most unusual, at least in appearance, was the Alpha. He was a huge wolf with silver fur and intense green eyes that seemed to glow unnaturally. They said there was no other wolf like him in the world. He had eyes and ears everywhere in his territory. There was nothing that went on in his forests and the plains beyond that he did not know about.<p>

Which was why he was surprised one day to come across a young wolf, barely more than a pup that he had not seen or heard of before near the edge of the forests. The pup was small, black fur tangled and matted with dirt. The wolf cub shivered and whimpered without looking up at Sephiroth or acknowledging he was there.

Unusual green eyes narrowed and Sephiroth stood over the pup.

"Who are you? Where did you come from?"

There was no answer but more shivering and whining. Sephiroth nudged the small black creature with his muzzle.

"Answer me or I'll leave you for the scavengers to eat."

At that, the wolf cub looked up with amazingly blue eyes. "I'm Zack," he said.

"Zack. I am Sephiroth, the Alpha of my pack. These forests are my territory and I do not much like intruders."

His hard tone made the puppy wince and try to shift backwards but the moment he put his paw down, he drew it back with a yelp.

"You're injured," Sephiroth noted. "Show me."

Zack nodded and lifted his paw to show a large thorn stuck in it.

"I will help, in exchange for answers. I still wish to know where you came from and how you managed to get into my territory without my ever hearing about it." The silver wolf looked about for observers. There were several birds flying high in the sky and rustling nearby of other animals going about their business. "Not here though."

Without giving the puppy a chance to acknowledge his words, Sephiroth gripped him lightly by the scruff of his neck and ran with him back to the den in the heart of the forests.

Once, Midgar had been a human settlement but they had long since departed the lands. They left many ruins behind in their wake, metal and stone works that meant little to the creatures now inhabiting the forests there. In the centre of the forests was the tallest of the human structures, though it was just as dilapidated as the rest of them. It was in this place that the pack made their den. Among the wolves and other creatures of the forests, the den was known as Asgard.

It was like a huge cave, but made of shaped, smooth metal and unnatural materials rather than stone. Perhaps once it had been a grand sight in human eyes but all Sephiroth cared about was the single entrance at the front, defensible in case of attack and that could be closed through old human technology if need be.

The large silver wolf carried Zack into the centre of the den and set him down. The other wolves were absent, hunting and patrolling as Sephiroth had ordered.

Carefully, with a gentleness that belied his usual harsh tone, he set Zack down on the floor.

"I would have your answers now, before I remove that thorn," he said, sitting before the wide-eyed cub. "Where did you come from?"

Zack stared around him in amazement - he had never seen anything like this. His previous home had been a natural cave - though barely even that. His pack had hunted in the warmer south... until the hunters had come. He didn't want to think about it but Sephiroth required his answers. Everything about the other wolf declared he was an Alpha and had to be obeyed. So Zack began to tell his story.

"I've been travelling for days. My pack... they were attacked by hunters. I wanted to help but... I'm too small. Too weak. It's only luck that I survived but then I heard about your pack. They know about you for miles around and tell stories. I thought... if I could come here, join your pack... I could get strong enough to prevent something like that happening again."

Though the pup was young, he seemed very sincere and determined. Sephiroth regarded him silently. He had been through much more than he had told, of that he was certain, and travelled far because Sephiroth had not heard of any of the neighbouring packs being attacked and killed.

"You understand that we do not go looking for fights with the humans, don't you? If we do accept you as one of our own, we will help you become strong but if you attempt to take your revenge upon the hunters, you will not be permitted back into these lands."

Zack nodded. "I understand. I just … I don't want to be alone."

"Hn. We will see. Wait here."

With that, Sephiroth turned and walked to the entrance of the den, leaving Zack still with the thorn in his paw.

"Hey, what about my paw?"

"It will wait. The wound is not deadly," Sephiroth replied and then he was gone, out of sight.

By the entrance to the den, there was a pile of rubble, part of the structure that had fallen down when humans had abandoned the land. It was topped by a sheet of metal, red in parts where time had not worn away the colouring. Sephiroth leaped up on to the unnatural ledge and let out a loud, drawn out howl. It was the signal for the pack to return to the den.

Answering howls sprang up from the forest around him, alerting him to who had heard the call and were on their way.

Before long, the pack was gathered in the den, encircling the small black cub. Sephiroth sat beside Zack calmly as the young wolf looked about with wide eyes.

"A stray, Sephiroth? Wherever did you find him?" asked a wolf with unusual red fur. His name was Genesis, one of Sephiroth's closest friends among the pack.

"By the edges of the forests to the south east," Sephiroth replied.

"And what are we to do with him?" asked a large black wolf. He regarded the smaller black pup by Sephiroth calmly, though he looked as though he would be fierce opponent in battle.

"That is what we are here to decide, Angeal," Sephiroth answered. Raising his voice, he walked in a circle around Zack to address the entire pack. "This young wolf is Zack. His pack has been killed by hunters and he travelled here to join us. I was quite surprised to find him, actually, as no one saw fit to inform me of a new wolf in the area." He spared a glance to a group of wolves in the corner.

"Not our fault, yo. We never heard anything about him either," one responded, yelping quietly as his ear was nipped by another.

"What Reno says is true. None of us had heard of a wolf travelling to join us. We would have informed you immediately if we had," said another, calmer wolf. There was something intimidating about him - though he was not as big as Sephiroth, there was power in him.

"Very well, Tseng." Sephiroth accepted the answer. He trusted his wolves. If not, how could they be expected to trust him?

"Zack was meant to come to us," said a new voice. The first female Zack had heard.

"Aerith?" Sephiroth turned to the she-wolf with a curious look.

"Zack was meant for us. He will undergo the initiation rites," Aerith said. She looked at Zack, wagging her tail happily. "Trust me, Sephiroth. Have I ever given you a reason to doubt me?"

In a pack full of unusual wolves, Aerith was arguably the strangest. She knew things the others did not. Sephiroth counted her among his most trusted because her advice had never steered him wrong yet. It had been her who had named the den Asgard, but had not shared what the name was supposed to mean.

"Well, guess that's decided then. Welcome to the pack, pup," Angeal said.

"Great. Now can I get this thorn out of my paw?" Zack lifted the paw up to display the wound.

Angeal glared at Sephiroth. "Have you left him to suffer all this time?"

"I wished only to make sure that he would not go anywhere," Sephiroth said calmly. He sat in front of Zack. "It seems you have been accepted. Congratulations. But you are not a full member yet. There are, as Aerith said, initiation rituals. Things that are unique only to this pack that you must learn before you will truly be counted as one of us."

Zack nodded eagerly. "I'll do anything, I swear!"

Sephiroth looked at him silently for a long moment, then nodded. "I do believe you will. Now, what we are about to show you is but the start of your education. It is a skill only known to those inside this pack and it is our most guarded secret. What you are about to see will not be revealed to any creature outside this territory. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Zack barked, little tail wagging furiously. This was incredible! He had hoped for this chance and now he had it, he was not going to waste it.

"Very good." Sephiroth responded.

And then... shifted. Changed. Where once there was a silver wolf with green eyes that seemed to glow, there was a man with long silver hair and those same eyes. All around them, the other wolves changed too into men and women albeit without those strange things humans used to cover their skin and keep their hairless bodies warm.

"Give me your paw, Zack," Sephiroth commanded.

Though he spoke in the human tongue, Zack was amazed to find he understood him. Utterly dumbfounded by what he was seeing, he held out his paw obediently. Sephiroth took it gently and removed the thorn that had been causing the puppy so much pain.

A female edged forward and rested a hand over the paw as well. A green glow enveloped it and the wound healed instantly.

"Welcome to Pack of Gaia's Chosen, Zack," she said. Zack recognised her voice as that of Aerith.

"This shape-shifting talent is something you will learn in order to become one of us. Aerith will be your teacher in that skill, among other things. The rest of us will teach you our way of life, train you and help you find your place among us. Do not let us down," Sephiroth said.

Zack could only stare in awe. There were rumours that Gaia's Chosen has special abilities, something that made them not quite wolves but not quite anything else either. Nobody had any clue what those abilities were though. No one had ever suggested to Zack that they could transform into humans. Without even realising, his tail had begun wagging frantically in his excitement.

"I'll do my best, sir!"

"I would not expect any less. Let's get you settled in and then you can begin your training," Sephiroth said, shifting back into his wolf form.

Some of the others also shifted back into their wolf forms but others remained as humans. It was unnerving to the pup, whose last encounter with humans was when they attacked and killed his pack. But he met them all with the same excitement, his tail never ceasing to wag.

By the time night fell, Zack was exhausted. He had spent the rest of the day memorising names and getting to know his new pack. Angeal and Aerith seemed especially fond of him and even Genesis took to him quickly. Sephiroth remained close by, keeping a close eye on Zack but rarely speaking. It was after dark by the time the pup finally fell asleep, watched over be Angeal.

Sephiroth sat outside the entrance to the den, poised on the heap of rubble. Moonlight shone down into the clearing, illuminating everything in silver. The soft sound of paws scratching against the rock reached his ears and Aerith sat next to him. She was a sleek brown-furred wolf with bright green eyes that alternated between kindness and mischief.

"He'll be a good addition to the pack," she said quietly.

"You're sure? He's still very young," Sephiroth replied.

"Of course. Besides, don't tell me you could have refused those pretty blue eyes," the she-wolf said.

Sephiroth looked away without answering. Aerith giggled at him.

"I knew it," she announced. "I don't think anyone else would say no either, if that makes you feel any better."

"Hmph. You said he was meant for us. What did you mean by that?"

"The same thing I meant when I said the others we have taken in were meant for us," Aerith replied. She looked up at the moon and then closed her eyes. Her ears twitched as though she was listening to something only she could hear. All that Sephiroth could detect were the usual sounds of the forest at night.

"Will I ever find out what you mean by that?" he asked.

"One day," Aerith promised. "I'll tell you soon. We're almost complete. Just one more to go and then we'll be whole."

Sephiroth gave her a puzzled look but she interrupted before he could say anything more.

"You should get some sleep, Sephiroth. You'll need it."

Sephiroth looked at her for a moment longer, then stood. "In that case, I shall take my leave. Goodnight, Aerith."

The large silver wolf turned and went inside, leaping gracefully down to the ground. Aerith watched him go, then turned back to the moon.

_'Don't keep us waiting too long, Cloud.'_

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><p>Author's Notes:<p>

So. That's the fic. Please leave a review. I do so love feedback~_  
><em>


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